Wings of Olympus
by AlthosHol
Summary: Percy Jackson has always been the plaything of fate. So he is not sure what to expect when he accepts a quest from Aphrodite Olympian goddess of love. He just knows the location: Shin Tokyo. Questions he needs answered: Why was he chosen? What is a Sekirei? What does she mean I'm an ashikabi? Percy Jackson son of Poseidon, What will you make of the Sekirei Plan?
1. Alpha Fteró

_**Disclaimer: I in no way own or take any credit for the creation of Sekirei or Percy Jackson. This story was written solely for my own enjoyment and hopefully to entertain others. It is not intended to ever be sold or published for monetary gain.**_

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June 21, 2018

High above the city that never sleeps the denizens of Olympus huddled in fear as the ground shook and the sky trembled. Dark clouds and gale force winds replaced the normally "heavenly" weather they were used to. Nymphs ran around in panic as hail began falling from the sky. The minor gods and goddesses shielded their faces as they tried to imagine what was happening behind the closed doors of the Olympian throne room.

~PJ&S~

The Summer Solstice was not going as planned. The annual meeting had started normally enough. Apollo and Hermes were teasing Artemis while dodging her silver arrows. Ares and Aphrodite flirting with each other and paying no attention to the glares her husband, Hephaestus, was giving them both. The rest were simply waiting for the last of their number to arrive while Dionysus snored. A sudden crack of thunder and flash of lightning lit up the room and when it cleared Zeus the king of Olympus was standing in front of his throne.

He cast his gaze around the room before taking his seat and calling for the council's attention. "Let us begin this..." His words were cut off abruptly. The moment he had settled in his throne chains seemed to appear out of nowhere and wrap themselves around his body, pinning him to his chair. He looked up and saw the rest of the gods and goddesses in the room bound in the same manner.

"What is the meaning of this!?" Zeus demanded, enraged that anyone would have the gall to attempt such a trap.

As if to answer his question a form shimmered into existence in the middle of the room accompanied by a sinister laughter that echoed off the walls. "Don't bother fighting. The chains of Enkidu are impossible to break." His voice was dark and chilling.

There were gasps of disbelief as Zeus immediately recognized the intruder.

"Angra Mainyu!" He thundered. "This is impossible! You were supposed to have faded thousands of years ago; along with rest of the Persian gods."

"I am a god of darkness and despair, the personification of all the evils in this world." The Persian god explained to the King of Olympus as if he was a child. "Do you honestly believe a being such as myself would fade when the world below us continues to bleed with corruption?"

"How did you get here?" Athena demanded. It should have been impossible for any foreign god to have set this kind of trap. How had he breached Olympus?

"Ah Athena, goddess of wisdom, I'll admit that it was not easy to get in here, but I've been plotting this for thousands of years, ever since the last of my pantheon faded." He replied. "I've learned a few tricks in that time."

"How do you expect to succeed here?" I interrupted as I stepped away from my father's throne. He had invited me to the solstice meeting and up until this point I had been ignored. Angra Mainyu obviously didn't see me as a threat.

"Percy!" My father's voice pleaded with me to remain silent. "Don't challenge him."

"Listen to Poseidon boy." Angra Mainyu smirked as he barely turned to look at me from the corner of his eye.

I knew what my father meant. Angra Mainyu was a god from a different pantheon, but he was still a god. As such there were certain ancient laws that he had to adhere to. In this case: a god could not attack a demigod directly unless challenged.

Unfortunately I didn't see that I had much of a choice. I was the only one free to act. I glanced briefly at my dad and hoped that he could see the apology in my eyes before I turned back to the enemy and drew my favorite pen from my pocket. A quick flick of the cap turned it into a celestial bronze sword engraved with the word _Anaklusmos _the Greek word for Riptide.

"If you want Olympus, you'll have to kill me first." I didn't wait for him to reply and charged as fast as I could hoping to land a surprise attack.

~PJ&S~

Unfortunately my "surprise attack" was not as effective as I would have liked. The god had been quick to respond by pulling out a curved sword made of some kind of black metal of a type I had never seen before.

"Really mortal?" The dark god asked as I jumped back, narrowly dodging a swipe to my chest. "You have to realize that you don't stand a chance against me?" He stated with an arrogant smirk.

I took a moment to calm my breathing and try to think up a plan of attack. "It doesn't seem that way to me." I pointed out as I glanced at the shallow cut above his left eyebrow. The only reward from my first attack. It had definitely got his attention.

"This means nothing." He snarled as he reached up and wiped at the golden ichor that had bled from the wound. "It is simply a painful reminder that one should not turn their back on even the most insignificant of pests."

I had managed to escape his attacks until now. I was faster than him and I used this to my advantage. I was simply thankful that being challenged by a mortal prevented him from using most of godly powers.

We started circling each other, each waiting patiently for the other to make a mistake. Of course I made sure there was taunting involved. It's kind of my thing.

"Come on seriously?" I mocked. "Is this all you can do? I've seen better from my best friend's wife and she's a wood nymph.

His eyes darkened and I could almost feel his rage. I noticed his grip tightening on his sword a moment before he lunged at me. I leaned my upper body to the side and used my blade to push his attack away and down. I used the brief opening this gave me to lash out with my foot and catch him in the chest. The blow pushed him back a few feet, but did little else.

He was quick to close distance again and I was forced to continuously evade or redirect his attacks while I waited for an opening. Unfortunately I had yet to see any I could exploit.

"Hold still!" He was definitely aggravated with my fighting style. Unfortunately for him I had no plans to stop as it was currently the only thing keeping me alive. I had already tried to summon my storm powers, but apparently being in the throne room of the gods prevented it.

"And let you kill me?" I asked as if I found the idea amusing. "Thanks, but no thanks."

My apparent lack of respect and fear must have finally gotten to him because he charged forward as if he intended to tackle me. I had to actually stop myself from smiling as I thought about the last enemy that had tried this tactic on me. The Minotaur really needed to learn some new tricks. The simplest of counters always worked on him.

I waited until he was nearly on top of me before planting my foot and forcing my body to the side. The god saw my attempt to jump out of the way and instantly changed course to intercept me.

Just as I hoped he would. The moment I had seen his body begin to turn I pushed off with my foot a second time and used all my strength to turn my momentum into a spin.

Angra Mainyu couldn't react in time and I used the force behind the spin to strike at the small of his back just as he was passing by me. His leather armor took the majority of the hit, but I was still rewarded with a small splash of ichor as Riptide opened up a large but shallow cut.

The god of darkness screamed in pain and fury as he turned to face me.

"So you have some skill; let's see how much longer it will save you!" He roared as he brought his sword down at my head in an overhead swing.

I barely had enough time to brace myself to block the attack. The sword shook in my hands and I nearly lost my grip. The power from the blow sent me crashing to my knees. His strength was incredible, but that was to be expected, he was a god after all.

I gritted my teeth as I changed the angle of my blade and rolled away as his sword slid off mine.

He was definitely a tough opponent. He wasn't the most skilled with a sword, but his strength almost made up for it. The reason I say almost is because, though he had the strength of a god, I had experience with fighting opponents whose strength was even greater. I had fought titans.

Even knowing that I had fought stronger opponents didn't fill me with confidence. I had gotten lucky that I had managed to block the majority of his strike. Comparing a mortal's strength to a non-war god's was like comparing a puppy to lion. I was definitely a lot more durable than a normal mortal, but that didn't mean I would be able to take him head on. The only way I stood a chance was by outsmarting him; that and by taking advantage of the one weakness all immortals shared; their belief in their own superiority.

Again and again my blade flashed as we fought. My skill was enough to offset his advantage in sheer power, but I was careful to only dodge or redirect his strikes. One attempt at blocking them directly was enough to convince me that doing so was not a feasible option. We went back and forth exchanging blows like this for nearly a minute before it happened.

A quick feint from above had me lifting my sword to block again despite my earlier conviction not to do so. I didn't realize my mistake until it was too late. He quickly dropped his sword low and across my stomach, the strike lifted me off my feet and threw me across the room.

My father cursed and raged against his bonds, but they held fast. "Percy!"

Angra Mainyu sneered as I tried to push myself to my feet. "So you wish to die on your feet?" He asked. "That is admirable I suppose." He sneered for a second before launching himself at me with his sword held high ready to deliver the killing blow. "I have to admit that I am surprised you are still capable of…" His trailed off as his eyes widened in disbelief. I had raised Riptide in one hand and had managed to deflect his blow wide. I struck out even as our swords met. He stumbled back his face frozen in surprise as he looked down at the glowing bronze dagger sticking out of his chest.

"Thanks Wise Girl." I whispered to myself.

"How?" He fell to his knees staring at me like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Through the gaping hole in my shirt there was not even a red mark to account for the vicious blow he had dealt me.

"What sort of deception is this?" He demanded as ichor continued to poor from his chest. I had aimed well. The blade had gone directly through his heart.

"Something I'm cursed with." I smiled as if sharing a private joke. I winced as I took a step towards him. I knew at least a few of my ribs had been broken. I could feel the edges grating together. His eyes widened in response. I could tell that he had figured it out.

"That is impossible. Your curse was washed away years ago." He denied as he reached up to the dagger in his chest. A brief grunt and he had pulled it free, but it was too late. As powerful as he was he had been challenged by a mortal, even if I was a demigod, and he had been dealt a mortal wound.

"Well swimming in the Styx once was bad enough, and I can tell you now that it hurts worse the second time." My face tightened a bit as I remembered the pain. The first time it had felt like I was dissolving in acid. The second time had made that feel like a scalding hot bath in comparison. It was a very clear message. _You will not survive a third time._

"Percy free us." Zeus commanded while glaring at the wounded god.

An amused laughter filled the air as Angra Mainyu seemed to find the command funny.

"Those chains were forged to bind gods for eternity. What could your precious demigod possibly do to them?" He glared at Zeus and continued to taunt them. "Even after I die they will hold you until I reform. I will claim my victory then."

I looked at the chains for another moment before concentrating hard as a memory drifted vaguely through my mind. It was years ago and Annabeth and I had been discussing ancient mythology, well she had been telling me about it and I had been trying to stay awake. I chuckled as I remembered her scolding. My chuckling grabbed the attention of the god behind me.

"What are you laughing about boy?" His voice was raspy from the ichor filling his lungs, but his derision was clear as day.

"Just remembering something a wise girl once told me." I looked over at Athena and her eyes widened for a moment before she smiled sadly. I was happy we had managed to find our peace. "She told me once of the Legendary Enkidu. The Chains of Heaven. The chains that were said to be indestructible to all forms of divinity. Their power is based on the beings they bind, the stronger the god the stronger the chains." I focused on a segment in front of me and raised my sword. I looked at Poseidon for a moment and saw him smiling at me. I felt myself flush with pride. "Even if I am a demigod, I'm still mortal. These are nothing but normal chains to me." I brought riptide down as hard as I could, the blade slicing through the links without pause.

The chains glowed for a moment and then the Olympians were on their feet shrugging their bonds off, glaring at their captor with contempt.

Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades, The three brothers, stepped forward and surrounded the fallen god raising their weapons. Hades a sword, Poseidon a trident, and Zeus his master bolt.

"For the crime of attempting to overthrow Olympus and for trying to usurp the power of the Greek Pantheon, as King of the gods, I sentence you to the void." Zeus eyes glowed with power. Looking into them was like looking into the heart of a lightning storm.

"No!" Angra Mainyu screamed as he tried to crawl away, but he was too weak. "I will not allow this! I planned for too long!"

Black fire, White lightning, and an intense beam of sea green power struck all at once. There was a loud scream and when the light faded Angra Mainyu was gone.

~PJ&S~

A few hours had passed since the big three had forced the Persian god to fade. Apollo had taken a second to heal my ribs and now the gods and goddesses of Olympus were once again sitting on their thrones. I was left standing in the middle of the room.

Zeus stood and slammed his bolt into the ground drawing the attention of everyone present. I had to stop myself from laughing when I caught my dad rolling his eyes at the lord of the skies dramatics.

"Percy Jackson, today you served us well. The defeat of the Persian god of darkness would have been much more difficult without your assistance." Zeus, obviously reluctant to admit that he had been saved by a demigod, seemed to forget the fact that had I not been there he would have been forced to fade. I decided not to point this out. I was feeling less than my usual sarcastic self. "It has been decided that you are to be awarded for your bravery." He gestured and Hades and Poseidon both rose and moved to stand beside him. "You will be rewarded by all three of us. We have agreed that you have earned such an honor. Never before have my brothers and I bestowed our blessings on the same hero at the same time. You should be grateful."

I could read between the lines. _Refusing this reward would be a bad idea._ I nodded respectfully and knelt in front of the three.

Hades was the first. "Percy Jackson, you fought for Olympus and defended us against a god much more powerful than yourself. My blessing will ensure that you always have the resources you need on any future quest. I grant you the ability to summon the riches of the underworld. This will include all precious gems and metals. Remember to use it wisely."

His hand glowed with a black fire as he touched my forehead. I stopped myself from flinching away and felt a wave of heat flood my body.

"You might notice one or two other small perks that come with my blessing." The god of the underworld whispered before he stepped away.

My father approached me next. "Percy as your father I am unable to grant you my blessing as you already possess a link to my domains." He smiled and pulled me into a hug. I felt a wave of power move through my body. It felt like I had just jumped into the middle of ocean as I felt my power surge. "I have increased your connection to my domains. This will boost all of your natural abilities and unlock a few extras that would have come with time. You are the most powerful demigod I have ever had. Not even I am sure about how powerful you will eventually become. I am so proud of you."

My father's words and the hug he was giving me shocked me to the core. I had always known that he cared for me, but I never expected him to show it like this. I hugged him back as hard as I could not wanting to let go. I could feel myself choking up and it took all my will power to clamp down on my emotions before they showed.

Poseidon hugged me back for a few more seconds until someone cleared their throat and he pulled away. I saw Zeus scowling at him.

"The strength of the ocean flows through you much stronger than before. Your stronger connections will now allow you access to the same strength and speed you previously only had when surrounded by water. As before the sea will still amplify your power."

I thanked him and turned to watch as Zeus approached. For once he wasn't glaring at me.

"My reward for you will be the same as before. I offer you godhood. I suggest you accept it this time." His eyes told me that it was not a suggestion. I nodded my acceptance. I had no reason to refuse anymore.

"Then I, Zeus, King of the gods grant you…" The Lord of Thunder was interrupted as a bright flash of light filled the room. As the light cleared I nearly choked when I found myself staring at three old women that I had hoped never to meet again.

They appeared as three frail old crones. The appearance was deceptive. These three were three of the most feared beings in all of creation. They were known as the Moirai to us greeks, but others would know of them as the Fates.

The sister in the middle looked directly at me. "Frail old crones are we, Percy Jackson?" She asked with an arched eyebrow.

I felt myself pale as I tried to stutter out an apology. I quickly went silent as the middle fate waived her hand as if brushing away my attempts.

"It is not important. We have come to intercede on the behalf of fate." She said as all three turned to look at Zeus. "Percy Jackson cannot be made a god." she stated.

"I am king of the gods and I have decided that…" Zeus began to rant before falling silent mid sentence, his mouth continued to move as if he was still talking, but there was no sound. It took a moment for him to realize what had happened and he glared at the three before giving up with an almost child like huff. Even he had enough sense to control himself when it came to the Moirai.

"Becoming a god would make him subject to the same ancient laws that all gods are bound by. His fate requires him to have more freedom than that." She must have seen my confusion. "You will understand in time."

Once more finding his voice, Zeus immediately objected. "This is not acceptable! He has already been granted more power than can be allowed for a demigod. If he is not bound to Olympus as a god of this Pantheon then he is a threat."

I could see my father tense at those words, he turned to his brother with a fierce glare. I knew that I couldn't allow a fight to break out in front of the Fates.

"My lords," The brothers paused in their argument to look at me. "I swear on the River Styx that I will never willingly betray Olympus. I will defend Olympus as long as I myself am never betrayed." There was a distant rumble of thunder as the Styx accepted my oath.

Hestia, always the one to seek peace between her siblings, spoke up before anything else could be said. "I think that oath should suffice to eliminate any concerns about Percy's loyalty. Don't you agree brother?"

Zeus looked over at the childlike goddess for a moment before his eyes softened. None of the Olympians could ever argue with the goddess of the hearth. He nodded his agreement and returned to his throne to pout. Not that he would ever admit to it.

"Well I am sure a suitable reward can be found for young Percy in the place of godhood, do you not agree Artemis?" The sister on the right asked.

"Yes that sounds about right." The sister on the left agreed.

I turned to look at the goddess of the hunt as she frowned in confusion before her expression suddenly cleared. "Yes I believe we shall find something." She replied.

"We shall leave you to it then." All three sisters stated at the same time before vanishing in another flash of light.

For a moment the council chamber was silent as the gods and goddesses seemed to look around as if to ask, "Did that really just happen?" If I had to guess I would say that a visit from the fates was not a common occurrence.

The silence was broken by Artemis. She stood and turned to Zeus. "Father since making Percy a god is not an option anymore I would make a suggestion."

Zeus nodded for her to continue.

"I would offer him the hunter's blessing." She explained.

The entire room just looked at her for a minute, as if not quite believing what she had just said. I immediately froze. Is she suggesting…

"Are you suggesting he join your hunt?" Athena asked incredulously.

Artemis' eyes widened and she immediately began shaking her head. "No! I just meant that I could give him the same Immortality that my hunters have."

"Aww man Perce that's too bad. I'm sure you would have loved to have joined Arty's hunt. You'd be the only guy in a camp full of repressed huntresses." Apollo gave me a look that said he was sad for my loss. It didn't last long as he quickly scooted back in his chair with a yelp as a silver arrow embedded itself in the place his crotch had been.

"Shut up Apollo! My hunters are not repressed and don't call me Arty!" The moon goddess angrily replied as she put her bow away.

"Wow touchy." Apollo mumbled as he removed the arrow and sulked in his throne.

"Enough bickering you two, try and act your ages." Zeus chided them both, not catching the incredulous look Hera was sending his way. Her expression just screamed, "This coming from you?"

Zeus waited until both his children had acknowledged him before focusing on his daughter. "Are you sure about this Artemis?"

"I believe this would be the best solution." She replied.

"Very well, go ahead." He said.

Artemis made her way over to stand in front of me. I had to look down to see her as the form she chose to use was that of a 12 year old girl.

"Lady Artemis, Do I have to swear any oaths?" I asked. The hunters all had to swear an oath to remain eternal maidens.

"No Percy. The oath is just something needed for anyone entering my hunt. My blessing does not require it." It was small, but I could swear I had seen her smile as she answered my question.

A quick tap on the forehead and I was surrounded by a silver glow before it sank into my skin. I felt….strange was the only word I could think of. I felt the intense desire to escape the walls that suddenly seemed far to constraining and run outside. I looked into the goddess' eyes and again I swore I saw the corner of her mouth tilt up.

"That feeling you are experiencing is the natural desire to be outside in nature. It is very noticeable at first, but it'll fade to the back of your mind shortly."

"Thank you my lady." I bowed to her. "I appreciate everything you have done."

"This is a reward for your service Percy. There is no need for you to thank me." She replied before returning to her throne.

After a few more words of self-congratulations for staying strong and not retreating in the face of an unexpected attack, Zeus dismissed the gathered gods and goddesses before teleporting away in a display of lightning and a clap of thunder. The majority of the others left after once again rolling their eyes at his dramatics.

My father gave me one last smile and a pat on the back before he vanished in a spray of sea mist. I couldn't stop myself from smiling as I made my way towards the elevator that would take me back to mortal world.

Just another day in the life of a demigod.

~PJ&S~

**2 years later…Present day**

"Whose plan was this?!" I yelled behind me as I quickly spun and lashed out with my sword. Barely feeling any resistance as it sliced through the neck of a lunging hellhound.

"Not my fault!" My friend answered as he hamstringed a Laistrygonian giant. The massive monster roared in fury as it fell to its knees only to be silenced a moment later by a blade made of stygian iron.

I spun around and glared at my friend, Nico Di'Angelo, before parrying an attack from an empousa and punching the demoness in the face hard enough to send her flying back into a group of monsters, knocking the majority of them to the ground. "This was your idea!" I was quick to remind him.

"I swear there weren't supposed to be so many. Alecto said a small group of monsters were planning on getting together to plot an attack on Camp Half-blood. I thought it'd be a dozen or so tops." Nico said. He was breathing hard as he turned with me to face the remaining monsters.

That made me pause for a second. I stared at my friend in disbelief. "Did you happen to mention that I would be going with you before she shared this information?"

Nico took a moment to think before his shoulders seemed to sag. "I should have seen that coming." He admitted. Alecto's hatred of me was legendary.

I rolled my eyes in aggravation, "I only killed her that one time; by the gods can she hold a grudge."

Nico laughed for a moment, "The life of a demi-god," he said as if that explained everything and in a way it did. Killing monsters wasn't anything new to either of us. We couldn't even say it was uncommon, not when remembering to take your sword with you to pick up milk was second nature.

I heard a growl coming from off to the side that reminded me that we still had a few stragglers to deal with. Apparently monsters don't like it when you ignore them.

"Excuse me! Are we going to fight?" The Empousa snarled indignantly. A few of the monsters behind her growled in agreement and raised their weapons in anticipation.

Nico and I paused in our conversation and turned to look at the half dozen or so monsters remaining. I took a moment to look around me as I reached out with my senses. I smiled and glanced briefly at the ground between their feet before turning to Nico. "Hey Nico, you mind if I take this?"

Nico looked at me for a second in confusion before shrugging. "Sure." He said with a hint of curiosity.

The monsters were surprised when both Nico and I put away our swords. "What are you doing?" The Empousa asked confused. "If you think we're going to let you go just because you…" She cut herself off as she heard a low rumbling fill the air.

I smiled as I brought my hand up in front of me palm up with fingers spread pointing at the group. "I don't need my sword for this."

The lead monster barely had time to widen her eyes before her group was enveloped in an explosion of rock and dirt as water surged from the ground and swept all the monsters up into the air. There they stayed suspended as the water circulated around them in a tight ring.

I made sure to look around for any spare monsters before focusing on the water again. I closed my fist sharply as I willed the water to obey. It was over the next second as the water compressed violently and all that was left was a cloud of golden dust.

Nico watched the dust settle for a few seconds before letting out a whistle. "Damn Perce, You're getting scary man. How the hell did you do that?" He asked.

"It was my dad's reward after that attack on Olympus a few years back. Since he couldn't actually give me his blessing he increased my connection to his domains. Increased water manipulation has its perks." I raised my hand and in a moment water vapor was swirling above my palm and more continued to gather until a mini cyclone of water was hovering in place. It only lasted a few seconds before I willed it to disappear.

"That is pretty cool." Nico said with a laugh.

"So says the guy who can summon the undead to fight for him." I shot back.

"Yeah," Nico agreed with a hint of pride. "That is pretty..." Nico was cut off as a rainbow shimmer appeared in front of us.

"Incoming message for Perseus Jackson from Olympus, will you accept?" The voice of the goddess Iris announced.

We shared a look of trepidation before accepting. The mist cleared and the face of Aphrodite appeared. I groaned internally when I saw her. What could she possibly want? I kept the thought to myself.

"Perseus I need to see you in the throne room as soon as possible." Her voice was lacking its normal sensuality and her expression was for once lacking any hint of flirtation.

Her severe demeanor took me aback for a second. I had never seen her so serious before. "Lady Aphrodite what is it?" My mind was flashing with possibilities, each worse than the last. "Is it Piper?" Piper Grace was the wife of one of my best friends and Aphrodite's demigoddess daughter.

"Piper is fine Perseus. I can't talk about this over an Iris message. Please get here as quickly as you can." She responded.

"I'll be there in just a minute." She nodded and swiped the message to break the connection. I turned to Nico, "Sorry man it looks like I have to go."

"I understand, but how are you going to get to Olympus? New York is hundreds of miles from here." He looked around for a moment. "I could shadow travel us there I guess. It'll take a few minutes and I might have to rest part of the way."

"Well remember how I said Poseidon increased my connection to his domain?" I asked with a smirk.

"Yeah," Nico said with a bit of hesitation.

"You're going to love this." I said, smirk still in place. "See you later bro."

Nico eyes went wide as his friend's form seemed to fade out and disperse as if he were mist being blown away by an ocean breeze. He stared in shock for almost a minute before whirling around and heading to the nearest tree. "My way looks cooler." He murmured before stepping into a shadow and sinking out of sight.

~PJ&S~

I reappeared in the throne room of Olympus and was surprised to see it empty save for Aphrodite who was sitting on her throne. Even Hestia was absent though the hearth was still brightly lit.

"Lady Aphrodite, what's wrong?" I asked concerned.

The goddess of beauty and love rose from her throne and walked towards me, quickly shrinking from her godly height down to her 5'11" mortal form. She stopped a few feet away and without pausing said, "I have a quest for you."

"What's going on?" I asked again. Aphrodite bit her lip and turned away to pace across the throne room before turning to face me.

"This quest is of a personal nature for me Percy." She said softly.

At this point I was growing more concerned by the moment and more suspicious as well. Normally I would have done almost anything to avoid being alone with Aphrodite. She had a habit of flirting with me to a disturbing degree. This new side of her was disconcerting.

"Back when Greece was still the seat of Olympus I discovered a people that seemed to embody the ideas of love and devotion. Every aspect of their lives was driven by it. It was amazing." She smiled for a moment as if recalling a fond memory. "I have recently discovered that a group of them have resurfaced in Shin Tokyo Japan."

"What does this have to do with me? What do you need me to do?" I asked.

"They're in danger Percy. A mad man has taken advantage of my little birds and is using them for his own ends. I can't do anything to interfere. The ancient laws prevent it." She looked at him meaningfully. "I need you to do it for me."

This was something new. It was unusual for a god or goddess to give a quest personally. They usually communicated through Chiron or the oracle. In the end I figured that it didn't really matter though. I had had been aching for something to do recently. Eighteen months had passed since my last quest. Frankly I was getting bored.

"Who is this person? What has he done?" I asked hoping for more information.

"I'm not allowed to tell you that much Percy." Aphrodite replied. "Zeus has forbidden me from helping you. He blames this problem on me and has decided that my punishment is to watch it happen without interfering"

"Why would he blame you? I asked confused. "How is this your fault?"

"The man behind this is a demigod." She looked like she was forcing the words out. "He's my son."

"Lady Aphrodite, um…not to imply anything, but you have quite a few children. How does his being a demigod make this your fault?" She he had quite a few kids at Camp Half-blood, but to be fair so did the others and she didn't have as many as some of the male gods.

The goddess in front of me seemed to hesitate for a moment before she stepped closer. "Long ago, before the pact Zeus demanded of his brothers, back before the fall of Rome, Zeus decreed that no god minor or major was allowed to have a child with any human less than 4 generations removed from divinity. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"I think so." I thought about it for a moment. "You mean that a god or goddess can't have a kid with anyone whose parent or grandparent was a demigod."

"That is correct. I don't think I have to tell you how paranoid Zeus is about someone trying to take his throne." She explained.

"I understand the rule, but what does this have to do with the quest?" I had a pretty good idea where this was going, but I needed her to confirm it for me.

"This demigod is unique Percy. His father was a demigod too, the son of Eris." She stared at me for a moment as if willing me to make the connection. It didn't take long.

"Eris! You mean the Goddess of Discord and Chaos?" I exclaimed in shock.

"Yes that Eris." Aphrodite for the first time looked down in shame. "The combination of our two domains in one person resulted in conflict." She said softly.

"Chaos and Love combined in one person." I muttered. "Is this what drove him mad?"

"It might have helped, but we are all capable of choosing how to live our lives. He gave into his darker nature. His father wielded the power of chaos, but was strong enough to resist being consumed by it. Our son gave in to it rather than fight it."

"Is there anything else you can tell me?" I asked.

She shook her head. "I'm sorry Percy. I've already skirted the edges of Zeus' commands by asking for your help. I can't tell you anymore without violating the oath of noninterference he insisted I make." Then she smiled. "But that doesn't mean I'm done. There is one more thing I can do for you."

This immediately put me on my guard. I eyed the goddess wearily as she reached up and placed a hand on my forehead. The last time she had offered me a "gift" I had almost ended up getting an unwanted make over.

"Relax Percy. All the times you've helped Olympus and saved my children I never personally rewarded you. That is something I can take advantage of." Suddenly a gentle warmth enveloped me. "I bestow my blessing upon you Perseus Jackson."

I shivered as she stepped away and a few seconds later the sensation subsided as all the warmth seemed to seep into my heart and vanish. "What does the blessing entail?"

The goddess of love and beauty smiled before explaining. "I have given you two gifts." She held up two fingers. "Number one: Empathy of the heart. This will give you the ability to read the emotions of people by touching them. I'm hoping this gift will be of some use to you. Number Two: Language of love. This I know will be helpful. The spoken word is the way most people immortal and mortal alike share their love for one another. This will give you the ability to speak any language that possesses a way to express that love."

"So I'll be able to speak Japanese." I nodded to show her I understood. That really would be helpful.

Aphrodite smiled and for once seemed to shrug off the gloom that had over taken her. "Let's go, no point wasting time." She said as she drifted up next to me and wrapped her arm around mine.

"Wait what…" I didn't get a chance to finish as my vision was filled with a shimmer of red.

~PJ&S~

When my vision cleared I looked around and breathed a sigh of relief as I realized that she had taken us to a park. It didn't appear to be anything special. It was perhaps a little cleaner than most, but for the most part it could have been any park in any city anywhere in the world.

It was night wherever we were; luckily the path we were on was illuminated by some well-placed lamps, although even if it hadn't been there would still have been enough light to see by. The moon was full and the stars were bright.

"Where are we?" I asked the goddess next to me as she started dragging me down the path.

"Shin Tokyo." She smiled at me. "Romantic setting isn't it?" She gripped my arm tighter as she pulled me closer to her side. I couldn't help but squirm a bit.

"My lady please…" I began before she cut him off.

"You don't need to be so formal Percy. Please call me Aphrodite." She had completely reverted back to her normal behavior. While I was definitely more used to this side of her, I was finding myself more comfortable with her more serious side.

"Ummm…ok. Look Aphrodite I am flattered, but…" Again she didn't let me finish.

"Why do you turn away from love Percy?" She released my arm to turn and look into his eyes. The concern in her voice threw me for a second.

I'm going to get whip lash if she keeps changing on me_._ I thought to myself. I wonder if gods can be bi-polar?

"I don't turn away from it, I'm just not ready….ever since Annabeth I…" I trailed off as I tried to think of a way to explain my feelings to her. I looked away uncomfortably.

Aphrodite reached out and turned my head back so that she could look into my eyes. "I am sorry for your loss Percy, but it's been 6 years. She wouldn't want you to be alone."

I stood there for a moment and just looked into her eyes. Normally I would have walked away by now, but something in her voice made me want to open up. She was probably Charm Speaking me, but at the moment I didn't care. "I know that." I told her quietly. "I'm not holding onto the past, but I just haven't found anybody that makes me feel like she did." I took a deep breath. "I'm not one for casual dating. There has to be a connection. If I find that special one again I'll know it."

Aphrodite smiled. "Maybe even more than one." She said cryptically. I frowned, confused, but she continued before I could question her. "You'll find someone you can connect with Percy. I'm sure of it. Maybe even sooner than you might think."

Her words made me nervous. Aphrodite liked to "help" people when she was bored and wanted a project. "Do not mess with my love life Aphrodite." I tried to make my voice firm and my warning clear.

"Don't worry I won't interfere." She assured me. "Beside it wouldn't be real if I had to manufacture it." Her promise relieved me a bit, but I couldn't help but remain a little suspicious. She gave me a brilliant smile before leaning forward and kissing me on the cheek. "Good luck Percy."

Before I could say another word she was gone. A fading red shimmer and the scent of perfume all that remained to show she had been there.

"Great so now what do I do?" I sighed as I took a moment to look around. I was in the middle of some random park and all I knew was the name of the city I was in. I had no supplies, although that wouldn't be a problem for long. Thankfully I had my weapons, a pen and a mechanical pencil.

Ok Seaweed Brain what is your next step? Find a place to stay and some food to eat. The rest can come later. I spotted a planter nearby and quickly made my way towards it. I had about $50 in my pocket, but I would need more if I was going to be here for long.

I stuck my hand down into the dirt of the planter and focused on what I needed. A few moments later I pulled my hand free and took a look at my score. Three small bars of gold no bigger than a pack of chewing gum. I smiled to myself. I could work with that.

It wouldn't take long to find a gold dealer in a city of this size. At least I hoped it wouldn't. I glanced around one more time before I took off to find a place to sleep for the night.

~PJ&S~

The next morning I left the small run down motel room I had found for the night. It was basically a hole in the wall, but the point was to save the cash I currently had and they had accepted American currency. I had slept in worse places. That morning I decided to spend the few hours wondering around the city. I didn't actually know where to start looking for the demigod Aphrodite had told me about. My best idea at this point was to get a feel for the city and find a place to exchange the gold in my pocket for the money I would need.

Despite being in a foreign country I found myself feeling oddly at home as I walked around and watched people rushing around. It had the same feel as New York and I was still a city boy at heart.

I managed to locate a gold dealer a few blocks away from the motel I was staying at and after a bit of haggling, sold some of the gold i had for a decent price. Normally walking around a metropolitan city with a pocket stuffed full of 10,000 yen notes would be dangerous for a normal person, luckily these weren't normal circumstances and I was definitely not a normal guy. Getting mugged at this point actually appealed to me. Anything was better than walking around searching for some clue that I had no way of identifying. My basic goal: Look around until I notice something that seems odd. In a city I've never been to in a country I've never visited. Why did I agree to do this?

I stopped for a moment to scratch the back of my head in frustration. I had been wondering for hours and hadn't managed to find anything that might help me in my quest. This wasn't working. I was probably better off patrolling the city at night. If something was going on it would probably be easier to spot when the majority of the citizens weren't out and about. That really was my only option at this point. It wasn't like a clue was just going to fall out the sky.

"Get out of the way please!" I heard a female voice yell.

I looked around startled. What the Hades was that? No one was looking at me, but I saw one little boy pointing up at the sky and tugging on his mother's shirt. I looked up to see what he was pointing at and my eyes widened in disbelief.

"Look out!"

SMASH!

The Curse of Achilles kept me from being hurt, but the impact still knocked the wind out of me. I opened my eyes after catching my breath and found myself on the ground, but I didn't really notice or care about that. My attention was fixed on the young woman sprawled on top of me. Our faces were inches apart.

Now I'm normally not the kind of guy to be swayed by a pretty face, well not really, but I couldn't seem to stop myself from starring as the girl pulled herself back and rested herself on her knees with her feet tucked beneath her.

"I'm so sorry." She apologized shyly.

"It's ok. I'm…" I didn't get to finish as she suddenly jumped up, hauling me up with her.

"Look out!" She pulled me to the side just as a bolt of what looked like lightning slammed into the ground right where we had been standing. I quickly spun around and pulled her close to shield her from the debris. I felt a few pieces of concrete bounce off my back, and I once again thanked the Styx for my Invulnerability.

I looked down at the woman in my arms and noticed she was staring at me, her eyes glazed over. Her cheeks were flushed and I could tell she was breathing hard.

"Are you ok?" I asked concerned.

"It's you." She said. She seemed distracted, as if she wasn't fully aware of her surroundings. "I found you."

I was just about to ask her what she was talking about when I heard another voice. This time I was able to track its source. I looked up and almost choked in surprise. Two girls were standing on the top of the building above us looking down at us with a look that just screamed danger.

They were twins. Both had the same features and long black hair, but what had me starring were the outfits they were wearing. Each was sporting some kind of leather outfit that was far more revealing then could be considered appropriate in public. One was purple, the other a dark violet almost blue. Despite that they were exactly the same. The outfits were down right indecent and I was having a hard time looking away.

That was until I saw that their hands had electricity dancing around them.

"Give up girl!" One of the sisters yelled down. "Just fight us already. I promise it'll be quick."

The girl next to me seemed to snap out of whatever trance she was in, finally looking around and spotting the girls above us. Her eyes filled with determination.

"I won't fight until my ashikabi wings me!" She yelled back with conviction. She turned to look at me. I couldn't tell what the look was supposed to convey, but I could tell it was supposed to be significant.

"Well unfortunately we only fight unwinged Sekirei." The other twin replied calmly. She glanced over at her sister. "Hikari"

The twins each raised a hand towards us and I quickly stepped in front of the girl next to me. I brought my arm up and was reaching for the watch on my wrist when I felt the girl behind me wrap an arm around my waist and lift me off my feet. The next thing I knew we were flying through the air.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I let out a scream or two. I calmed down as soon as I realized I was being carried. The girl holding on to me was jumping across the roof tops, her feet barely touching one before she pushed off and was on her way to the next.

The fact that she was doing this while carrying me with one arm as if I weighed nothing didn't even cross my mind. Shock will do funny things to a person.

I looked back and saw our attackers were trying to follow us, but we quickly left them behind and took cover in a side alley.

Once we were back on the ground I stepped away from my "abductor" and looked at her for a moment. She appeared human, but I could tell she wasn't. I hadn't noticed it earlier with all the commotion, but she was putting out a very strong aura.

All Demigods are sensitive to the power that radiates from every living being. The more powerful a demigod is the more sensitive they are to this power. In most demigods the ability manifests as an awareness of when a powerful monster or god is nearby. There are some, however, that can be trained to use their sensitivity as more than just a keen awareness. Chiron had been training me for over 10 years and reading the power of others had become second nature. I was able to pick up impressions of a person or monster's power. It was a useful skill.

I had never run into an aura like this before. It wasn't oppressive and it didn't cause my instincts to scream "enemy" like a normal monster's would have. I could only tell that whatever she was, she was powerful, and when I focused on her I swear I got the impression of thick fur, claws, and overwhelming strength. Needless to say I was a little confused.

"Ok I think someone needs to explain this to me. What is going on?" I looked at her hoping she would give me some answers.

"Please don't be afraid of me." She seemed quite nervous and her voice shook slightly. I smiled for a moment hoping to calm her down.

"Trust me I'm not afraid of you. I just want to know what's going on." I kept my voice level. That must have been the correct thing to say because her face instantly lit up into a smile. I was surprised when I felt something in my chest tighten for a moment in response.

"Oh thank goodness." She stepped closer. "I was so worried that you would be frightened."

"I don't scare easily." I said. "Now what is going on? You obviously aren't human. I can tell that much. No human can do the types of things you and those girls were doing."

"I am number 88 Musubi, and I am a Sekirei." She replied in a cheerful voice.

"My name is Percy, Percy Jackson." I introduced myself in return. "What's a Sekirei?" I asked.

Musubi stepped closer and just as it seemed she was going to answer she stiffened and her eyes went wide. I watched as she began to blush and I could hear her breathing start to speed up again.

"Hey are you ok?" I was growing concerned. I took a step towards her and had to jump forwards to catch her as her knees buckled. I gripped her gently by the shoulders to stop her from falling. After a few seconds she managed to stand on her own and I was surprised when she stepped closer and leaned forward to rest her head against my chest. She drew in a deep breath as if trying to memorize my scent.

"It's taken so long. I looked for days. I thought I would never find you." She mumbled into my chest.

"What do you mean Musubi?" How could she have been looking for me for days? How does she know me?

She pulled back and looked me in the eye. "My destined one; the one most special to me." She paused to lean forward again. "My ashikabi-sama."

I was totally unprepared when she leaned up and captured my lips with hers. At that moment everything seemed to fall away. The entire universe narrowed down and all I knew, the only thing that mattered, was how soft her lips were. The kiss was gentle and I almost moaned out loud when her taste registered. It was amazing. Unlike anything I could possibly describe. If I had to come up with something I would say it was the flavor of the sweetest strawberry you've ever tasted dipped in honey. Not normally a combination that would work, but somehow this did.

A few seconds into the kiss I felt it. Something latched onto my power and I could feel a small portion of it pass between us. It didn't alarm me. It was not a violent feeling and the amount being shared was so small I probably wouldn't even be able to tell it was missing normally. I knew the exact moment the power reached its destination. I had closed my eyes at some point, but they flew open just in time to see a bright glow illuminate the alley as a pair of large pink iridescent wings made completely of light suddenly sprouted from her back.

Musubi broke the kiss and arched her back, while letting out a cry that made it pretty obvious that she wasn't in pain. I wasn't able to stop myself from blushing.

I was left panting, staring at her as the glow subsided and the wings disappeared. She was breathing just as hard, but the smile on her face was nearly as bright as the wings had been.

"I, number 88, Musubi promise to always stay by your side and protect you, now and forever." I didn't know what to say. She seemed completely serious. I had no doubts that she meant every word. It was as if I could feel her resolve and determination while she was saying the words.

"I'm not sure…"

"There you are!" I spun around at the interruption. There at the mouth of the alley was one of the S&M twins. "Hikari!"

"I got them!" The other landed on the opposite side, obviously intending on blocking us from escaping.

I turned to look at the first twin. "Listen this doesn't need to get messy." I watched her carefully. This was bad. We had very little room to maneuver and the only way I would be able to get to either of them before they could fry us was by revealing my abilities. I wasn't quite ready to do that.

"You can leave. We're only here for her." The one identified as Hikari explained.

I sighed for a moment. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you hurt her." I turned sideways to present less of a target to either of them and slipped my hand into my pocket palming Riptide.

"If you don't leave…well we can't promise you won't get hurt." She threatened while raising a hand charged with electricity.

"Umm Hikari…We're not supposed to hurt civilians remember." Her sister reminded her.

"Come on Hibiki! We warned him. It's not our fault if he refuses to move." Hikari complained.

The one I now knew to be Hibiki turned to me and with clear regret said, "She's right. I apologize, but if you don't leave you might get hurt." She seemed genuinely sorry.

I didn't get a chance to respond before Musubi had placed her hand on my shoulder.

"It'll be okay Percy-sama." She reassured me. "I can fight now."

"Oh ho! Now you want to fight! Let's go!" Hikari challenged her.

Hibiki frowned at the girl's eagerness to fight before her eyes suddenly widened.

"Hikari wait! She…" It was too late.

One second Musubi was standing next to me staring at Hikari and the next she had crossed half the distance between them.

By the gods she's fast! My mouth hung open for a second after seeing that and in that time Musubi had reached her opponent and the fight was over. Hikari had obviously not expected her speed. The lightning girl gasped and threw her hands up, just managing to put up a shield of some kind made out of the same energy she used to form her lightning, before Musubi struck the shield with her fist. The impact created a ripple in the air for a brief moment before Hikari was blown off her feet and into the wall across the street. She laid there for a few seconds. I was actually worried that she had been killed by the impact until I head her moan. She sat up and shook her head, clearly dazed.

Definitely not human I thought. A normal human would have been killed after a blow like that.

"Hikari!" Her twin screamed in concern as she jumped to the roof and then across the street to her sister's side.

"How in the hell did she do that?" Hikari asked as she slowly stood up, but kept a wary eye on Musubi who at this point had returned to my side.

Hibiki looked at Musubi for a moment before she looked at me and her eyes narrowed.

"She's been winged." She stated as if it was the only answer.

Hikari looked at me and then cursed colorfully.

"Damn it! What do we do now?" She asked.

Hibiki looked at us for a moment and then turned to her twin. "We leave. We only fight unwinged Sekirei."

"Fine." Hikari conceded and climbed to her feet. "Let's go. Seo better have earned some money today. I'm sick of instant ramen."

Both of them leapt to the roof of a building across the street. Hibiki looked back at us. "Good luck." She called before they both disappeared.

What just happened?

I turned to look at Musubi and found her staring at me with a grave expression.

"Percy-sama I need to tell you something." She was completely serious, her previous good cheer completely gone.

"What is it Musubi-san?" I didn't even realize I was using honorifics. Could she explain what was going on? Was this somehow part of my quest? At this point I was ready for anything.

GRRR….

I stared at her for a second. Was that? Was that what I thought it was?

"Percy-sama…I'm so hungry…" Musubi face fell and she gripped her stomach just as it started to growl again.

All my other questions were forgotten in an instant. I now only wanted to know one thing.

What in the hell have you gotten me into Aphrodite!?

* * *

_**Original Authors Note: I honestly hope that you all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. I would love to see any constructive criticism that anyone might have. It has been a long time since I have posted anything on this site so please be kind. Reviews are the lifeblood of fanfiction. We all know this.**_

_**I am currently looking for a beta reader for this story. If anyone is interested please feel free to PM me.**_


	2. Beta Fteró

**__****Disclaimer: I in no way own or take any credit for the creation of Sekirei or Percy Jackson. This story was written solely for my own enjoyment and hopefully to entertain others. It is not intended to ever be sold or published for monetary gain.**

* * *

**Authors Note: I can't believe the response I've gotten to this story so far. The first chapter resulted in 18 reviews and 47 followers. That means 47 of you are interested in reading more of this story. That is way beyond what I thought the initial response was going to be. It is so encouraging. I want to thank all of you who took the time to write a review. It really helps keep the juices flowing.**

**I want to give you guys an idea of how often I intend to update this story. The average length of every chapter going forward should be about 10K words. I am aiming to have one chapter posted every 2 weeks. It took longer than that this time as I have been crazy busy at work and it has left me exhausted. Hard to come up with good content in that state.**

**Last but not least I should warn you. The characters you recognize in this story will stay true to their Canon personalities, or as true as I can manage, the only exception will be Musubi. I will be altering her slightly. I will be honest and tell you that I can't stand Canon Musubi. I love her character. I just can't stand how childish she is. It's like they gave her a the smoking hot body of an adult, but gave her the mind of a kid younger than Kusano. **

**My Musubi will still be naive. She will still be bubbly and innocent, but she will not be an idiot. Think of a blend between the maturity and devotion to love shown by Yume and canon Musubi. That is what I am aiming for.**

**Well now that I've gotten that out of the way let's get to the good part  
**

"Okay so let me make sure I understand what you're saying." I said as I paced across the room. I took a moment to run my hand through my hair to try and calm myself down. "You're a sekirei, a woman from another planet whose sole focus in life is to seek out and bond with your destined partner or ashikabi."

Musubi nodded her head rapidly as she sat on the end of my bed with her hands clasped under her chin.

_She is not cute….She is not endearing. I will not be distracted by her smile or her looks or this feeling I get when I…_I groaned and pulled my eyes away from her.

Immediately after the fight in the alley Musubi had nearly fainted from hunger. Apparently she hadn't eaten in over a day and was starving. I could sympathize, but I thought she was being a tad over dramatic about it.

At least that's what I thought until I watched her demolish six cheese burgers, three large fries, and chug down 2 extra-large soft drinks. I had found myself oddly entertained by the sheer amount she could put away. Although I imagine someone with limited funds would have felt differently.

Once I had come close to filling the bottomless pit that was Musubi's stomach, we made our way back to the motel room I was staying in. I had immediately demanded an explanation for what I had seen and for the next few minutes I sat and listened to Musubi talk about Sekirei, MBI, and my role as an ashikabi.

Yes apparently I was one of these ashikabi, a person capable of "winging" a sekirei and unlocking their true power.

Or so Musubi had explained….

"Ok Musubi, what made you so sure I'm supposed to be your ashikabi?" I sat down in the only chair in the room. To be honest I wasn't as shocked as I guess others would be. Being the son of one of the Greek gods makes one a little more accepting of the fantastical.

"I felt you Percy-sama." She placed both hands over her heart. "Here."

I took a moment to stare at where she had placed her hands before I looked away and fought down a blush.

_What is wrong with me? _I've never had this problem before. I usually had more self-control than this.

"What do you mean?" I asked once I could face her again.

"My body reacted to you Percy-sama." She elaborated. "It felt as if I was on fire on the inside. I could feel heat rushing through my body and my chest felt like it was going to explode." She grasped her chest with both hands to demonstrate.

_Focus! Don't look….Don't look!_

"So are the others out there that you could react to?" I asked although for a strange reason the words were hard to force out.

Musubi's eyes went wide and she shook her head from side to side so fast I was briefly worried she'd giver herself a concussion.

"No Percy-sama!" Her answer was much more forceful than I had expected. It was clear the idea upset her. "We only bond with one ashikabi, our destined one. The bond is created out of the love in your heart. I will be yours Forever and ever."

Queue paling…prepare for panic…freeze. Brain Reboot…..

Rebooting….

Rebooting….

Reboo… WHAT!?

I took a moment for me to work what she had said over in my mind. Bond…One…Destined….Forever and ever?

"Musubi-chan do you mean that an ashikabi is a sekirei's soul mate?" I asked very calmly. I would not panic.

"Yes Percy-sama." Musubi said cheerfully.

"And the bond you mentioned is permanent?"

It seemed that the quiet and unenthusiastic tone of voice I was using finally registered with her. She looked at me for a second. "Percy-sama?" Her question came out more subdued then her previous responses.

I stood up and walked to the other side of the room. I just needed space for a moment. This was….

"Why didn't you ask me first?" I spoke softly, but in the silence of the motel room it seemed to echo. "Did it ever occur to you to give me a choice?"

I turned to look at Musubi and for moment I could see that her face was etched in confusion before she lowered her head and her bangs covered her eyes. .

"I…I didn't think…" I could barely hear her.

I turned away again to look out the window. I wasn't sure how I was supposed to react to this. I imagine most guys my age would have been ecstatic with how things had turned out. Musubi was an absolutely gorgeous girl. She had a figure that I was sure had to be one the best I had ever seen. Plus her personality was charming beyond words. I had only spent a few hours with her and in that time she had been nothing, but happy and bubbly.

Despite all the reasons for accepting this as a gift as most would I could only focus on the fact that I had been bonded against my will. Fate had once again decided to shaft me.

I turned to look at the sekirei again, "Musubi I'm…" She was still looking down, but I could see her shoulders shaking.

I had to stop myself from rushing to her side. I was the injured party. I was the one that should be upset. What was I going to do now? My life was already complicated enough without having to worry about an alien girl I had just met deciding I was her soul mate.

I was in the middle of formulating my next question when I finally got a good look at her face. She had tears silently sliding down her cheeks. I moved to her side quickly and sat down next to her. I didn't stop to second guess my actions as a I slipped my arm around her waist. All my previous frustration and hesitation forgotten.

"Musubi please don't cry. It'll be okay." I tried to soothe her. "We'll get this all sorted out. Everything will be fine." I was probably saying all the wrong things, I've always been horrible at comforting crying women. I just never knew what to say to them.

After a few minutes she turned to look at me and I could see the pain in her eyes.

"I didn't mean to burden you Percy-sama." She whispered.

"Hey listen don't worry. We'll work through this." I replied. I let go of her and stood up. "I'll be right back. I'm going to grab you something out of the bathroom to wipe your face off with okay?"

I waited until she nodded before I went into the attached bathroom to find something she could use. I heard a quiet rustle behind me, but I dismissed it. Musubi was probably just getting comfortable.

It took me a minute to decide on one of the hand towels. It wasn't until I left the bathroom that I realized what it was I heard before was not the sound of someone getting ready for bed. The window on the other side of the room was wide open and Musubi was gone. I ran to the window and looked outside just in time to see her land on the roof of a building about a block away. I lost her a moment later as she took off around a corner.

"Musubi!" I yelled hoping to get her attention.

I hopped up on the window ledge as fast as I could and pushed off. I landed on the roof of the building next door; luckily I had chosen a room on the floor above the surrounding structures. I hit the tiled roof running and sent a quick prayer to my father as I approached the side of the building.

Now normally, what I was planning on doing would have been considered a bad idea. I was three stories up, so even if a person could survive a fall from this height they would definitely end up in the hospital. Fortunately, I am not normal, even by demigod standards.

I jumped off the ledge and for a few seconds I felt weightless as I flew up and over the lip of the next roof. I landed and paused for a second to look back at the spot I had just jumped from. It was fifteen feet below me and about twenty feet away. I gave myself time to grin. Yeah I was definitely not normal.

It took about thirty seconds to reach the building I had last seen Musubi jump from. She was nowhere in sight.

"Musubi! Where are you?!" I hoped she could hear me. I didn't know why I was so distraught over her leaving, but something inside me was screaming that being separated like this was WRONG. It was like my demigod instincts, but different. I shook my head and cleared my mind. I could figure this out after I found her.

Where was I supposed to look though? Shin Tokyo was huge and dense. She could have gone in any direction. If I chose wrong I could lose hours looking for her.

It was during this moment of indecision that I felt it. The unmistakable feeling that spoke of danger. My senses were screaming "enemy" at me. This was how I normally felt around monsters, but something was off. This felt different. I just couldn't put my finger on how.

I started spinning around trying to locate the source of the presence I was feeling. I was exposed, out in the open, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Being out in the open prevented anyone or anything from sneaking up on me. I pulled Riptide out of my pocket and started to pull the cap.

"Ahhhhhh!" The scream pierced the night and chilled me to bone. That was Musubi! I took off in the direction of the scream just hoping I wouldn't be too late.

~PJ&S~

I could feel the intensity of the monster's aura getting stronger as I ran, leaping from building to building.

_She'll be fine._ I told myself. Musubi had proven that she was much stronger than a normal mortal. Plus she could fight. She'd floored that other Sekirei without a problem.

Despite all that something inside me was urging me to go faster. _You're going to be too late again!_

I pushed myself, picking up speed. _I will not be too late…_

I was moving so fast I almost overshot my target. The power in the air was overwhelming now and I was having a hard time tracking its direction. I was nearing the edge of the next building when I heard it.

"Stay away!"

I looked down and saw her. Musubi had been backed into a dead end alley and I could see the fear and pain on her face. She was holding her shoulder and was slightly hunched over. I could see the blood staining her sleeve. She had been hurt.

I looked away from her and for a moment I froze. Two hellhounds were growling and approaching her slowly, hellhounds unlike any others of their kind I had ever seen. I had never seen hellhounds this big, save for Mrs. O'Leary and Cerberus.

_Figure it out later!_ I reprimanded myself and dropped down off the ledge. I landed in partial crouch right in front of Musubi.

"Percy-sama!" She yelled in shock. She reached out as if to pull me back. "Watch out they're…."

"It's ok Musubi-chan. I'll take care of this!" I uncapped the pen I had clenched in my hand and almost instantly I was holding a sword made of glowing bronze.

The two hounds had stopped approaching when I had first appeared, but now they were once again stalking towards us. Their bulk nearly filled the alley and each of them was easily eight feet tall at the shoulder. A quick flick of my other arm had my wristwatch spinning and transforming into a shield, the metal in the center glowing the same as my sword.

Now that I was closer to the hellhounds I could see them in even greater detail and their size wasn't the only thing that made them different then the hellhounds I was used to dealing with. A normal hellhound had large razor sharp teeth, but these brutes had teeth that were far too large for their mouths. They were jagged and uneven, and seemed to have been just jammed in without thought. I doubted the animals could close their mouths properly.

I took a breath to calm my nerves trying to remind myself that I was invulnerable for the most part. I just had to keep my vulnerable spot protected.

One of the monsters crouched low and tensed up with a growl. I could tell it was about to lunge and I braced myself with my sword at the ready. I was unprepared for the strong hand that grasped the back of my shoulder and even more unprepared to be pulled back so hard I barely kept my feet under me.

"No I will fight!" Musubi's declaration surprised me as she stepped in front of me and raised her fists as she fell into a fighting stance. "Musubi what are you doing!?" I yelled in surprise.

"I am your Sekirei even if you don't want me. I will fight for my ashikabi!" She replied watching the hounds.

I was about to respond and tell her that she didn't understand what she was up against when the first one lunged at her.

Musubi dodged to the side with a quick step and lashed out with her fist. I had seen the power behind her hits before so I was surprised when the hound merely snarled as its head snapped to the side.

Right away I knew something was wrong, hellhounds were not this strong. That blow should have knocked it silly. The beast had already recovered and lashed out with a claw in a way that reminded me of a cat. Musubi jumped back barely avoiding the attack.

_Since when do hellhounds swipe at their prey? They usually just lunge and bite. _I was becoming more and more confused.

_There's no way these are normal hellhounds._

Only a second or two had passed, but I could see that the other hound was trying to maneuver itself behind Musubi. It was obviously trying thought it could get to her while her back was turned.

I ran forwards as fast as I could covering the fifteen feet between me and the monster in less than a second. I slashed at it with my sword. It saw the attack coming and turned to dodge…or so I thought. Instead of dodging it turned its face toward me and faster than I could react it bit down on my sword and stopped the blow.

I stood there for a for a second completely dumbfounded. _This is getting ridiculous! What are you!?_

I tried to pull my sword free, but the beast had a firm hold on it and I was unable to budge it. I brought up my other hand and did the only thing I could think of. I punched it in the nose as hard as I could.

"Bad dog!" I yelled for good measure.

Luckily the pain from the blow must have been enough to get its attention because it pulled back with a yelp and released my sword. I immediately tried to take advantage of its distraction by aiming a jab at its eye. This time my attack was at least partially successful. I missed the eye, but my blade scored a hit down the side of its face. Leaving behind a large gash.

The monster reacted by barking at me. I was caught off guard as its bark produced a wall of power that hit me like a freight train. I was blown off my feet and smashed into the building behind me. I grunted as the pain of the impact blinded me for a second.

I felt my body protest as I pulled myself up to my knees. Riptide had been torn from my grasp and I couldn't see where it had landed. I heard a roar and looked up just in time to see the hellhound lunge at me. I was barely able bring up my shield, grateful that it was still attached to my wrist, before the monster landed on me.

I was forced to my back once more as the giant dog from hell began tearing at my shield. The shield was forged by the cyclopes in service to my father in the forges of Atlantis. The materials and blessings placed upon it made it nearly impervious to damage.

I watched with growing astonishment as the creature on top of me tore it to shreds as if it was made of cardboard. A few seconds later and the shield disintegrated. Before I could react the monster clamped its jaws around my arm.

I screamed in pain. I could feel the bones in my arm being crushed. My skin was holding as the Curse of Achilles prevented the razor sharp teeth from damaging it, but the sheer force behind the bite wasn't diminished enough. My forearm snapped like a twig and I nearly blacked out when the ends were ground together.

I punched it in the head with my free hand a few times, but it simply ignored the blows. I frantically grabbed for its mouth hoping to pry myself free, but I couldn't get any leverage. It was too strong. Even my enhanced strength from my father's gift wasn't enough.

As I struggled with the giant Cujo from hell I heard Musubi cry out.

"Get off me!"

I strained to turn my head and saw Musubi on the ground beneath the other hellhound much like I was, but it seemed she was faring slightly better. She had both hands around its throat and was using her incredible strength to hold it off her, but I could tell she was tiring. The beast's jaws were inching closer and closer to her throat and she didn't have a curse to stop it from biting through her neck.

Musubi looked away from the monster and our eyes met. I could see the fear in her eyes. She was fighting for her life and it was my fault, she was there because of me. I felt something primal rush through me at that thought.

I recognized the feeling, the surge of power that always felt like a wave on the brink of crashing, it was a feeling I was intimate with. I couldn't suppress another scream of pain as the hellhound above me bit down harder on my arm and jerked its head up dragging me up the wall slightly and nearly dislocating my shoulder. I didn't stop and think about what I wanted; I didn't stretch out my senses to find it. I simply commanded it to be there and it answered.

Across the street a fire hydrant burst open and a torrent of water blew across the street towards the hellhound, but at the last second it changed direction and slammed into my chest. Hitting the monster was not my intention . If I was lucky the force of the impact would loosen its hold on my arm, but it was more than likely that I would have been flung around like a doll instead. Fortunately water is more than just something I can use to attack with though. The moment the water touched me it felt like I had been plugged into an outlet, I felt power flood through me as the water did what it could to revitalize me. I felt the pain from my broken arm fade, but I didn't take the time to enjoy the lack of pain. Instead I pulled my free arm back and slammed my fist into the head of the massive monster pinning me to the ground. This time it noticed. It snarled and lowered it's head slightly as it tried to instinctively pull away from the source of it's pain.

I am much stronger than one would think just by looking at me. I am many times stronger than the strongest mortal in existence. I could thank my father's gift for that. The power of the sea is always running through me, granting me fortitude and me access to water however, and that power is amplified.

I quickly found my footing and stood up. I went on the offensive wrapping my arm around the creature's snout and grabbing the edge of its mouth, after a brief struggle I was able to wrench its mouth open enough to pull my arm out. Unfortunately I could tell it would be useless to me in this fight, the bone was shattered and I didn't have time to focus and heal it. Broken bones take more effort than simply getting wet. Only sea water had the power to heal them without an effort on my part.

I still had my other arm around the hellhound's snout and I could feel it trying to break free. I didn't have much time. I looked over at Musubi and was thankful that in the last few seconds she had managed to hold off her attacker, but she was obviously growing tired and I could tell blood loss from her previous injury wasn't helping.

The water that had been pouring out of the hydrant shot around me and slammed into the side of the hellhound above Musubi. The force of the blast lifted it off its feet and slammed it into the brick wall next to it hard enough to crater the wall slightly.

The moment I verified that I had given the sekirei some breathing room I returned to my own fight. The water had strengthened me, but the monster was still a challenge. It kept thrashing around trying to dislodge me, and I was holding on with everything I had, before I could summon the water back to me again the beast gave mighty heave of its head and I was sent flying into the wall again.

The back of my head hit brick and for a moment the world was filled with bright splotches of light. I groaned and once again lamented the fact that the curse didn't make me immune to blunt force trauma. I felt myself lose my grip on the water and by the time my sight cleared the monster was a few feet away and charging. I braced for the hit, but it never came.

"Get away from my ashikabi!" I looked up just in time to see Musubi come in from a massive leap and slam her fist full force into the thing's head. The power behind her hit forced its head down and into the ground hard enough to break the asphalt. Musubi pulled back and watched as the monster went limp. It laid there for a few seconds before suddenly disintegrating into silver dust.

_Wait…Silver? It should have been gold..._

That puzzle would have to wait though as Musubi's exhaustion finally overcame her. She had obviously put the last of her strength into that last blow. Jumping forward I caught her around the waist as she collapsed. I carefully lowered her down to ground and looked around for the other hellhound.

It had pulled itself out of the wall it had been stuck in and I could tell one of its back legs was broken. That was probably the only reason it hadn't rejoined its friend and attacked again. I narrowed my eyes as I gently released Musubi and stood up straight.

I was angry. Angry at the monster for attacking Musubi, but also angry at myself for being the reason she was out and vulnerable in the first place. I started walking towards the hound watching it for any surprises. While I was approaching all the water that had poured out of hydrant until this point started coalescing around me. Even the water that had soaked into my clothes was extracted and added to the surge. When I was ten feet away I gestured with my hand. A single thought is all it took to have the water surrounding me shoot forward and engulf the hellhound before it could move an inch. I focused on what I wanted the water to do and it responded. I had one more trick up my sleeve. One i had only recently discovered was possible with my powers. I had never tried it on this scale before, but in my anger I never even considered that it might not work. I felt a powerful chill run through me and in less than a second the water was replaced with ice. Only the monster's head and neck were left free, the rest of its body was stuck fast in a massive block of ice.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out Riptide in pen form, the weapon having returned to my pocket at some point as was its nature whenever it was dropped or lost. A quick flick of my thumb and the cap was off, the pen once more changing into the familiar form of my favorite sword. I stopped a few feet from the hellhound and watched as it growled at me. Its eyes glowed maliciously and I could feel the killing intent rolling off it in waves. This creature was a killer. Its entire aura was corrupted with hate. It would kill without hesitation if it was left free.

My blade didn't pause as it sliced through its neck. The head burst into silver dust as it fell.

I stood there for a moment before I felt myself start to sway as my strength left me. I turned and stumbled back to Musubi nearly collapsing down next to her. I managed to brace myself against the wall before I pulled her unconscious form closer, gently cradling her head on my shoulder. I'm not normally so familiar with people I had just met, but I was exhausted and something inside me was just screaming that I had to keep her close. I didn't have the energy to argue.

I could feel myself starting to lose consciousness when I heard two soft thumps next to me. I tensed up as I glanced over and sighed in relief when I saw it wasn't another monster…at least I didn't think they were monsters. Two women were standing in the alley, staring at me in shock. Both were beautiful beyond belief. Tall and curvy with busts that were, if it was possible, larger than Musubi's. I could feel their power from where I was sitting and it felt incredibly familiar yet different at the same time. Musubi shifted in my arms and I looked down at her right as it hit me. The familiar aura I could feel coming off the pair. It was, in a way, the same aura I felt from the girl I was holding. These girls were sekireis!

"Please…help her." I could barely get the words out.

The one dressed in a normal pair of Capri pants and a shirt with a star in the middle of it stepped forward.

"It'll be ok bro don't worry." I could tell she was trying to reassure me. Her voice was gentle and her smile warm.

_Good…Musubi will be ok…_

The other woman watched us for a moment before stepping forward with a smile on her face. She was dressed much more provocatively in a purple dress that barely reached mid-thigh and left little to the imagination. She was just looking at us and I got the impression I was being studied. I was about to ask her what she wanted when she…squealed.

"Oh how romantic!" I could swear she was quivering in place.

I starred at her for a second and then closed my eyes. _I don't have the energy for… _

~PJ&S~

Pain was the first thing I noticed when I woke up. Fortunately I had years of experience that kept me from moving or grimacing. I kept my eyes closed and focused on keeping my breathing slow and deep. I had no idea where I was and when in doubt it's always best to make your captors think you're still asleep.

I could tell I wasn't lying on a bed and that there was thick comforter covering me. Whatever I was laying on was incredibly firm, but very soft. It was actually very comfortable.

_Ok time to take stock._ I thought to myself. _I'm not dead, my arm's been wrapped, and someone went to the trouble to make me comfortable. _

Given all of that I decided against immediately going on the offensive. I would try talking with whoever was here first.

_Who knows it might actually work for once. _History would say otherwise, but there had to be a first time for everything. _Well let's see how this goes._

I prepared myself and eased my eyes open a bit to try and see what was around me. The room I was in was brightly lit and I was laying on a futon near one of the walls right under an open window. I couldn't see anyone in front of me and I realized that I was going to have to move my head if I wanted to see more.

Keeping my eyes only partially open I turned my head towards what I thought was the center of the room. It took me only a second to spot her, but the sight of the woman sitting in the corner with her arms wrapped around her knees made me freeze.

"Musubi-chan?" She had been sleeping with her head resting on her knees, but woke up instantly at the sound of my voice.

She appeared to teleport from her spot against the wall. One second she was across the room and the next second she was falling on top of me with a sob.

I quickly clenched my jaw and bit back a moan as she landed on my injured arm. I could tell it had started healing, but unless I could get some fresh water it was going to take another day or so before I could use it without pain.

Having a fully grown woman drop all her weight on it hurt like hades, despite how little she actually weighed.

She was hugging me and sobbing. I pulled my injured arm out from under her and out of the way as I reached up with my free arm to stroke her hair.

"It's okay Musubi-chan." I tried to soothe her. "You're safe."

She pulled away from me and shook her head in denial, her face covered in tears.

"Percy-sama! You were hurt because of me! I failed you as your sekirei…" She trailed off at the end and burst out sobbing again.

"Musubi-chan…I got hurt because of me. I chose to jump down and attack those monsters. They were probably attracted to you in the first place because you had been so close to me. They probably smelled me on you."

She chewed her lip in agitation. I could tell she was thinking about my words.

I could tell when she dismissed them.

"Percy-sama, I wouldn't have been attacked if I hadn't run away from my ashikabi." She reminded me.

"Why did you run?" I had been so focused on finding her and then with the fight I hadn't had any time to think about it.

"I didn't want to be a burden to you." She said while looking away.

"What? I never thought of you as a burden Musubi-chan." I tried to deny her words, but I was ashamed to admit that a small part of me had felt that way.

Musubi looked at me for a moment before looking down again. She seemed to be having a hard time meeting my eyes. She said something softly and I strained to hear her.

"What? Can you say that again? I couldn't hear you."

"I winged myself on you without asking first." She explained softly. "I always swore that I wouldn't let an ashikabi that wasn't my destined one wing me, but I never even thought about asking if you wanted to be my ashikabi."

"Look Musubi," I began softly leaving off the honorific, "I won't lie to you and say that I'm not confused by all of this or that I fully understand what it means for you to be my sekirei, but I can feel the connection between us."

"Really Percy-sama?" She asked hopefully.

I knew that I should probably take more time to think everything through, but I was honest enough with myself to know that planning and thinking things out were not my strong points. I was very much a jump first and scream about it later type of person.

I wasn't lying to her about feeling the connection. I could feel it now that I was looking for it. A constant presence in the back of my mind that I was only just now noticing. It wasn't intrusive in any way; actually it was quite the opposite. When I focused on the connection all I felt was a reassuring presence. The same feeling I get whenever I get a chance to visit my mom and Paul. The feeling of family that sets you at ease and let you drop your defenses.

Back in the hotel room I had only been thinking about the fact that my choice in this had been taken from me. I was still uncomfortable with what this could mean and what she expected from me, but looking at her now I could still see the image of her unconscious in my arms her blood staining my hands. I never wanted to see her hurt again, especially because of me. Maybe it was my fatal flaw getting me into trouble again, but I had learned long ago that I was better off following my feelings.

"Really." I smiled at her and it seemed to be enough. Her guilt and depression seemed to flow away. She smiled brightly and dove on top of me again.

I was prepared this time and caught her part way, careful to make sure my arm wasn't jostled. I gave her a gentle squeeze in response to her crushing hug and sighed in relief that she had cheered up. I was enjoying the feeling of having her in my arms and as breathed in her scent the rest of the world around us seemed to float away...

"Ara ara, illicit acts are forbidden in Izumo house." A chilling voice caused me to jump and Musubi to flinch away with a squeak.

"Landlady-sama!" Musubi turned with a nervous smile. "Percy-sama is awake."

"Yes I can see that." The woman that had just entered the room turned her attention to me. She was wearing a purple hakama and a white haori. She very much reminded me of a young housewife, but her presence tore that illusion to shreds.

I tensed as I felt her analyzing me. She was a sekirei, I could feel her power from across the room, but her aura felt different then the three others I had encountered. The part that I had recognized as common between all sekirei was way more intense. Whoever she was, she was dangerous. I could see it in her eyes.

"You are Musubi-chan's ashikabi?" It came out as a question, but I could tell she meant it as more of a statement. "She has been quite worried about you. She has not left your side since you first arrived here."

I pushed myself up to a sitting position as I turned to address her.

"Thank you for taking care of us Landlady-dono." I told her honestly.

"My husband would never have turned away people in need." She explained.

"Um where are we exactly?" I asked. The fact that Musubi had greeted her with the title landlady made me think this was some type of boarding house or apartment building.

"This is Maison Izumo." The woman explained. "I am Asama Miya the proprietor of this house. One of my tenants brought you here, after a she and a friend of hers stumbled upon you last night. "

"My name's Percy Jackson." I replied. "We owe your tenant a debt. If they hadn't found us who knows what would have happened."

"Yes that is true." She eyed my wrapped arm. "Your injury was quite severe and very odd."

I thought frantically to come up with something to say. My arm had been crushed. The bones of my forearm broken in several places, but there would have been no outside appearance of damage, besides some bad bruising.

Well when in doubt…

"I am cursed with strong skin." I replied.

…tell the truth.

The woman looked at me for a second before raising her hand to hide a small smile.

"Ara ara, strong skin indeed." She laughed slightly.

"Yes Percy-sama is very strong!" Musubi stated proudly. "He saved me from those monsters, his power was incredible."

"Yes Uzume-san was telling me all about the rabid dogs that attacked you. Her tale was very difficult to believe. The friend she was with is obviously a bad influence." She grinned as if sharing a private joke. "I imagine they had quite a bit to drink before they found you."

I looked at the landlady for a second.

"What did they tell you?" I asked cautiously.

"They spun quite the entertaining tale of monstrous dogs, each as tall as this room with great big fangs." She replied, once again hiding a smile with her hand.

"Yes they were taller than me!" Musubi explained with excitement in her voice. "They were very strong. One of them pinned me down and I'm a fist type sekirei!"

As I watched some of the skepticism left the other woman's face. It was obvious she thought the story was the made up ramblings of two drunken women, but for Musubi to confirm the story obviously left her wondering.

"It all worked out though, although…" Musubi trailed off as she looked down at my arm as her face fell. "I couldn't protect my ashikabi."

"Yes I saw his injury last night, but what about you Musubi-chan?" The landlady looked at my sekirei, it felt weird thinking about her as 'my anything', and her gaze shifted to the younger girls arm. "Your wounds were not minor."

I turned to look at Musubi and my eyes widened in realization as I remembered that she had been injured last night. I looked at her arm and after a moment I spotted the edge of what must have been bandages as they poked out of the top of her white gi.

"Musubi-chan how bad is it?" I asked her concerned.

"It's ok Percy-sama." Musubi assured me. "I'm a fist type Sekirei! I heal fast."

"Musubi I saw the wound last night. You were bleeding heavily." I reminded her.

"I promise Percy-sama, I should be ok in a few days. I just have to be careful until then."

I sat there for a moment and wondered about what I should do. I wasn't one for lying. In my world we didn't really have to hide ourselves from mortals. The mist hid anything supernatural for us. I didn't like hiding who I was and if we were really bonded for life, like she claimed, then she had the right to know about me.

I looked at the landlady who was calmly standing in the room with her hands clasped in front of her. She was a Sekirei and a powerful one if what I was feeling was accurate. Sekirei were obviously not normal mortals. Should I even bother trying to hide my powers from them?

I sat there looking at both of them for a few more seconds before shrugging. I guess in the end it didn't matter anyway. I was pretty sure at this point that the sekirei were the ones Aphrodite had sent me to help and if that was true then I couldn't count on my true nature staying secret for long anyway.

"Percy-sama you should rest." Musubi urged me when I stood up from the futon I had been laying on. Luckily I was wearing a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt. Someone had obviously changed my clothes at some point.

"I'm okay Musubi-chan." I tried to assure her. "I assume the clothes belong to you?" I asked as I glanced over at the other sekirei.

"Yes they used to belong to my husband." She confirmed.

"Thank you for helping me. I'll make sure to wash and return them as soon as I can." I was happy that I had them, but then I stopped to consider the obvious. I had to force myself not to blush…I wasn't very sure I succeeded. "Umm…who…?" I had a hard time getting the words out.

The landlady seemed to be enjoying my discomfort, if her grin was any indication.

"Oh do not worry. I had one of my other tenants assist with getting you out of your torn clothes. His name is Kagari."

I breathed a sigh of relief at hearing that it had at least been another guy that had gotten me into the clothes. I still wasn't completely comfortable with the idea, but it was better than the alternative...right?

"Okami-sama is there a sink close by? I asked.

The landlady looked at me for a moment, most likely wondering why I was asking.

"Please call me Miya." She replied before she directed me to the bathroom down the hall. I nodded in response to her request.

"Would both of you do me a favor and follow me please?" I asked them both before making my way out of the room and down the hall. Both of them followed and stopped outside the bathroom door as I made sure to knock a few times. The last thing I wanted was to walk in on one of the tenants that lived here.

Once I was sure that no one was inside I slid the door open and stepped inside turning to look at the two women behind me. "Musubi-chan come inside for a second please." I requested.

"Ara ara, this seems most inappropriate…" The landlady interjected with a smile on her face. "I remember stating earlier that illicit acts are forbidden in Izumo house."

I began to feel an ominous feeling start to surround the young proprietress. I quickly started shaking my hands in denial. Hissing in pain as pain surged up my injured arm.

"No it's not like that I swear!" I quickly tried to explain. "Please you can come in as well if you would like." I meant to try and diffuse the situation. It did in a way, but not in the way I had intended.

The oppressive atmosphere suddenly dispersed and it took me a moment to realize that the landlady's eyes had widened and her mouth was hanging open as if she had been about to speak and suddenly forgot what she was going to say.

I looked at her for a moment replaying what I had just said in my mind before my own eyes widened in alarm.

"No! I'm sorry that's not what I meant! I swear I wasn't asking….I mean I was just trying to invite…no...What Meant was, I just want to show you what I can do…Oh gods! Please don't think I meant it that way. I just thought you would feel more comfortable supervising the two of us while were in there so you would be assured that nothing "Illicit" was taking place." I said the last part in a rush.

Musubi was just looking at me with her head tilted to the side like a curious puppy as she watched me flounder for an explanation. Once I had finished she started giggling as she covered her mouth with both hands.

The woman I had been talking to seemed to regain her composure a second after I finished explaining and with a dignified movement she merely nodded her head in approval.

I groaned in embarrassment and gently guided Musubi into the room and made my way over to the sink. I turned both faucets on partway until I had a gentle flow of luke warm water. Once I was done I turned to Musubi with a smile.

"Okay ladies just watch for a second." I told them with a grin.

I slowly started unwrapping my arm, ignoring the concerned gasp that came from Musubi as I slowly revealed the bruise covering the majority of my forearm. I was right on the money before when I thought that it would be bad.

The bruise was a deep purple that started near my elbow and darkened until it almost appeared black the closer you got to the center. It ran the length of my forearm until it ended at the wrist. I cringed a bit myself when I saw it. I hadn't been hurt this bad in a while.

I looked at Musubi who once again seemed to be on the verge of tears. "It'll be ok Musubi-chan just watch." I smiled hoping it would calm her down.

Once I got her to smile back I reached out with my good hand and let the water fill my palm. When it appeared that the water was about to overflow the edges of my hand I directed it to move and like an eager pet it obeyed.

The water flowed over my wrist and started to climb my arm disappearing under the sleeve of my shirt. I turned to hold out my injured arm and watched as the water reappeared out the opposite sleeve on my other side and flowed down towards the bruised area. As soon as the water reached the injury it spread out until it had completely covered my lower arm.

The water glowed slightly as I focused on what I wanted. Slowly, as we watched, the bruise started changing colors. It grew lighter and lighter until after about a minute all that was left was a slightly red area that soon faded. I winced a bit when i felt the bone in my forearm snap back into place. Then it was done. The water retracted and left behind smooth unblemished skin. I sighed in relief. The pain had been easy to ignore, but I was still happy it was gone.

"That is incredible Percy-sama!" Musubi exclaimed. She was practically hopping in place with excitement. She didn't seem at all surprised by my power. I guess the idea of me having a power like this wouldn't seem that impossible for a sekirei.

I glanced over at the other woman in the room. She was just staring at my arm as if trying to puzzle something out.

"Are you ok Miya-san?" I asked her.

The landlady looked at me for a moment and nodded her head. "I am fine Jackson-san, that was very impressive. Can you do the same for Musubi-chan?"

I watched her for a moment. I expected her to ask me about my powers. I expected apprehension or at the very least curiosity, instead all I was seeing was a calm smile as she stood there patiently.

_Oh well. _I thought to myself. _I can figure that out later. _Musubi's injuries had to come first.

I turned to look at the girl in question. She was just standing there watching us patiently. "Could you turn around Musubi-chan?"

"Ok Percy-sama." She replied and spun so that her back was facing me.

"Ok now Musubi-chan can you move your top out of the way so I can see the…" She was already taking the top off before I could finish. She loosened the ties of her top and gently let it fall away from her back. I expected her to hold it up part way so I was unprepared for her to simply let the gi fall to the floor.

Very little skin was actually revealed though. It wasn't just her shoulder that was wrapped like I had previously believed. The bandages wound around her torso starting at the lower back and continuing up too just below her arms. Unwinding the bandages would take some finesse.

In the end I had to have Musubi assist me. I could have done it myself, but it would have required me getting a little closer than I was sure Miya would allow. When the final bandage fell away I completely forgot about her state of undress. I was instead focusing on the three long gashes that ran across her back.

They were claw marks. She had been slashed from behind at some point. They started on the right side of her back about mid-way up her spine and ended on the left side just above her waist line.

I moved closer and gently traced the wounds with my fingers. I had to fight down the guilt that threatened to overwhelm me. This had happened because of me. The hellhounds had to have been sent to hunt me, but instead of finding me they had tracked my scent to her instead. I couldn't think of any other reason for them to have been in the city.

Normal hellhounds are not like other monsters. They stay in the underworld unless summoned by someone or sent by Hades. It was rare to see them just wondering around "in the wild". Those that end up doing so for whatever reason are usually found by Artemis and her hunters very quickly.

I examined her back for other wounds. She had a gash on her upper arm that I had already seen, but that seemed to be it. She assured me that she had none on her front which relieved me. This was already awkward enough with her half naked and Miya right behind me watching silently. I was willing to bet that she was just waiting for me to do something "illicit' that she could call me on.

"This won't hurt." I promised her as I willed some of the water flowing from the sink to my hands. I placed my hands gently on her shoulders and focused. Slowly the water flowed from my hands and over her skin. I willed it to stop as soon as it had spread enough to cover both wounds.

The ocean was a domain unlike any other on the planet. Its dark depths and rolling tides contained power unmatched by anything else in the world. Most only focus on the destruction the ocean can bring. They picture hurricanes and tsunamis; they fear the dark depths and the creatures that swim within them. Most forget though, that almost all life on the planet Earth came from the seas. The power of the seas could bring forth life just as it brought death. It was this aspect of my power that I was tapping into.

The water covering Musubi's back started glowing with a gentle light and within a few seconds the gashes on her back and shoulder started closing. I was secretly relieved. The monsters that had attacked her were different than any hellhounds I had ever seen. A part of me had been worried that the wounds would be cursed. I smiled as the wounds continued to fade.

Once the wounds had faded entirely I went to pull my hands away only to be stopped when Musubi crossed her arms and grabbed on to both my hands holding them in place. She turned her head enough to look at me and the smile on her face was big enough to light up the room. She was looking into my eyes and I could see the gratitude in them. I smiled in return.

That was when I noticed it. It was hard to pin down what I was feeling and I don't think I could have described it to someone else if I had to. It was similar to the connection I had felt earlier, but it was as if it was straining against something. I could feel something was there waiting, but I had no idea what it was. I focused on the strange feeling, trying to make sense of it and suddenly it was as if a damn had been released. I was suddenly being flooded with feelings of gratitude and happiness much stronger than I had ever experienced before. It took a few seconds for me to realize what was happening.

_Aphrodite's gift!_

She had said that I would be able to feel the emotions of others if I chose to. I had wondered what that would be like at first, but with everything that had happened I had forgotten.

The emotions I was feeling from Musubi were incredibly strong. I could feel how thankful she was, I assume, for my healing. I could feel her astonishment and happiness. Those emotions were all at the forefront and easy to see, but it was the emotion I felt underneath them all that grabbed my attention and refused to let go. I knew what it was. There was no mistaking it for anything else, at least not for me. No one that had ever felt it before would ever forget it.

Love.

I could feel Musubi's love for me. My mind told me it was impossible. She had told me that the bond that was formed when she was winged was made of love, but I had tried to dismiss that as an exaggeration. We had only known each other for a few hours. My mind fought to deny it, it should have been impossible, but I could feel it. I knew it was true. Musubi loved me.

The emotions I could feel from her were powerful, but they were also separate from my own. I knew that I wouldn't be influenced by them. The emotions coming from Musubi were recognizable, but they had a different…flavor. That would be the best way to say it. They weren't my emotions and I could tell the difference.

My eyes wondered to the smooth expanse of her back. Now that it was unblemished her skin looked incredibly soft. My right hand slipped from her grip, which had gone slack, and started to slowly slide from her shoulder down across her shoulder blade and was almost to her spine before I realized what I was doing. Realizing that I was almost caressing her shocked me and I pulled my hands away from her cutting off the flow of emotions.

"All better!" I said as I turned and saw Miya watching us. She regarded me silently for a moment before smiling and nodding.

"That is quite the power you have Jackson-san." She complimented me. "However I believe it is time for Musubi-chan to put her clothes back on. After all…Immodest behavior is forbidden in Izumo house."

It started with dark feeling, a weight that seemed to settle on the shoulders. It wasn't difficult to fight off. I had definitely faced worse, Hades helm of darkness made this feel like a tickle by comparison. The feeling started growing stronger and as I waited it I could feel it condensing into a single point behind Miya. I tensed as a black shadow took shape behind Miya and I readied myself for an attack. Whatever it was I would be ready. Nothing she could throw at me would...

What_ in hades is that!? _

The question echoed through my mind as I watched a massive demonic head slowly materialize from the shadow. I turned slightly to glance at Musubi wondering if she could see it to, but she was completely engrossed in tying the strings of her gi and wasn't paying attention. I reached into the pocket of my borrowed pants to find Riptide and turned back to face the demon. Only it's head had appeared so far, but...

It was gone.

I looked at Miya, she was still standing there smiling patiently. I was hoping she would say something or explain what had just happened, but she seemed to have noticed nothing and all evidence of the dark entity was gone.

"What was that?" I asked looking around the room carefully. No traces were left behind.

"What do you mean Percy-sama?" Musubi asked now completely dressed.

"You didn't feel that?" I asked Musubi. How could she have been that oblivious?

"Ara ara, are you feeling okay Jackson-san?" Miya asked. Her voice betrayed nothing but concern, I would have believed the concern was genuine if it weren't for the look in her eyes. I could see the amusement in them. She knew what I had seen.

I sighed to myself and decided to drop the subject, she could keep her secrets...for now at least.

"So what do you feel like doing?" I looked to Musubi. Who responded with another smile. Her silence told me she was content with whatever I wanted to do. That or she really had no idea.

If only I had a clue or an idea of my own. I stood there for a minute trying to think of something.

"We should talk about your rent." Miya's voice caught my attention.

I stared at her blankly for a moment while I thought about what she had just suggested. It sounded like she said…

"Wait what about rent?"

~PJ&S~

My talk with the landlady didn't last longer than a few minutes and immediately afterwards I had set out to collect the money I had left in the motel room. Musubi stayed behind to help Miya with dinner. I was in and out quickly, I hadn't exactly packed for this quest.

Dinner was an interesting affair. I sat with Musubi on my left and Miya sitting further down at the head of the table. I was examing the food available and thinking about the differences in American, Greek, and Japanese cuisine when my attention was drawn to the woman that had just entered the room and sat down across from me.

"Hey there Bro, You're looking better."

I forgot how to talk for a second. The woman that was sitting across from me had a bright smile, long brown hair pulled into a sideways ponytail, and was wearing nothing but a pair of panties and a tiny white camisole. I blinked as what she said sparked a memory.

**_"It'll be ok bro don't_** **worry." **

It was her. This was one of the women that found us last night. I opened my mouth to reply when I felt a familiar darkness as the air seemed to grow heavier, I looked over at Miya, her eyes were locked on the woman who had just joined us. This time I wasn't taken by surprise as the air around her darkened and the "face" once again made an appearance.

Musubi on the other hand was surprised and, judging by the way she was attempting to hide behind me, completely terrified.

"Uzume, I believe we have discussed proper attire and what is not appropriate to be worn to the dinner table. Do I have to remind you about what is and is not forbidden in Izumo house?" Miya's voice was nearly a whisper and as frigid as ice.

The woman, Uzume, immediately jumped up, unintentionally flashing her panties at everyone seated at the table.

"No Miya-san! I'm sorry I was just tired and forgot to put something on. I'll go change!" She quickly turned and fled the room.

The moment Uzume left the room the darkness lifted and the image disappeared.

"Ok Miya-san I have to know. What the hades is that?" I asked as Miya quietly returned to the fish she had been eating up until the drama had started. She looked at me as if I had just asked her to explain why Apollo thought he was an awesome poet.

Something no one had been able to explain to this day.

"What do you mean Jackson-san?" She asked me, her tone innocent, but with eyes filled with mirth. I was getting the impression that this was the usual response to that question.

I pinched the bridge of my nose in aggravation. This was getting me no where. I didn't think the manifestation was dangerous or I would have been a little more concerned and a lot more _direct_ in my questioning.

"Please Miya-san, call me Percy." I requested. Jackson-san just didn't sound right.

We were interrupted by Uzume's return. She was wearing jeans and a bright pink t-shirt.

"So what did I miss?" She asked as she sat down, subtly glancing at Miya out of the corner of her eye.

Musubi was once again sitting next to me instead of trying to hide behind me. She opened her mouth to answer before she was cut off.

"Ara ara, Let's not worry about that. You should eat before your food gets too cold." Miya cut in smoothly.

Realizing that Miya wanted the topic dropped and knowing that she was our host I decided to assist her. Besides I had some things to say to Uzume anyway.

"I never got the chance to introduce myself." I said by way greeting. "My name is Percy Jackson. Thank you for your help last night."

Uzume smiled brightly as she replied eagerly. Obviously not wanting to incur Miya's wrath again.

"Nice to meet you bro. I'm Uzume." She took a bite of food before continuing. "Yeah my friend, Kazehana, and I heard the fight on our way home. We didn't get there until the very end though. What were those things?"

Now this was something I had been debating since I had woken up. What should I tell them? Musubi had a right to know. I would be telling her regardless, but the other two here weren't bonded to me.

Before I had agreed to stay here it would have been simpler, but having agreed to stay here changed things. My staying could endanger them. If I was right and the hellhounds from last night had been sent to hunt me down, then I had to believe that others might follow.

If I was going to stay here not telling them might put them at more risk. I knew that as sekirei both of them were better equipped to handle the dangers that could follow me than most mortals, but if someone was looking for me telling others I was a demigod was probably not the best idea.

In the end though I realized that keeping my secret wasn't really an option anymore. All of the women here had seen me use my powers already. Kind of hard to stick a cat back in the bag. Especially when it's kicking, scratching, and trying to tear out your throat.

"They were hellhounds." I told them, once again going for the simple truth.

"Hellhounds? What are those Percy-sama?" Musubi asked.

"Hellhounds are a breed of demonic dog bred in the underworld." I looked around and saw that I had everyone's attention. "They're mostly used to patrol the fields of punishment, but are sometimes summoned into the mortal world by others."

"Underworld?" Uzume looked at me confused. "You mean the place they say bad people go when they die?"

"Most people usually get hell and the underworld confused. In Greek mythology the underworld is where all departed souls go. There they are judged and sent to the afterlife they deserve." Nico always hates it when people confuse the underworld with the christian idea of hell. I guess I would to if I called the underworld my home.

I ended up explaining to them all about the different areas of the underworld and how they were different. It was an unusual role for me. I was usually the one sitting back while others explained the myths to me.

"So the Fields of Punishment are where evil souls go, the Fields of Asphodel for the so so souls, Elysium is for Heroes and those that do good, and this Blest place is for like the Awesome people?" Uzume seemed enthralled by my explanation.

"It's the Isle of the Blest and it's for those that choose to be reborn twice and reach Elysium in all three lives." I remembered Nico telling me that his sister Bianca was trying for it.

"Wow Percy-sama! That place must be incredible!" Musubi exclaimed.

"Sure does." Uzume agreed. "But bro there is still one thing I don't understand." She said.

"What's that Uzume-san?" I took a guess...

"I thought this was all Greek myth, but you're talking about it as if it's real." She explained.

Bingo.

"Well that's because the Greek myths are real." I replied.

"What do you mean Percy-san?" Miya asked joining the conversation for the first time.

"Have you all heard of the Greek Gods?" I was curious if women from another planet would have been expose to the myths.

"Yes I have heard of them." Miya replied and I watch as Uzume nodded in agreement as Musubi just sat there. Good at least two of them will understand what I'm about to say.

"The Greek gods are real and so are all the myths and monsters they're associated with." I waited to see how they would react. I didn't have to wait long.

"How do you know about all of this Percy-san?" Uzume asked confused. "Did your adjuster tell you about all of this?"

"My adjuster? What do you mean? What's an adjuster?" It was my turn to be confused.

"You know the one that was responsible for adjusting your body and powers." Uzume looked at me like she was surprised she had to explain that.

"Oh Percy-sama didn't have an adjuster Uzume-san." Musubi explained. "He's not a sekirei."

"Wait what? How...Are you sure?" Uzume asked uncertain.

"Percy-sama is my ashikabi." Musubi replied with a smile.

Uzume stared at me for a second before looking to Miya who merely nodded to confirm what Musubi had just said before returning to her food.

"I don't understand." The sekirei across from me frowned. "I saw you use your powers." Uzume asked in a hushed voice. "The way you blasted that one..umm...hellhound?" She looked at me for confirmation, I nodded, before continuing. "You blasted that hellhound INTO a brick wall with water! You froze it in a mini glacier! What are you if you're not a sekirei?"

"The Greek gods and goddesses like to have..." I glanced at Miya. "'Dates' with mortals...and sometimes those dates produce children. When that happens the children usually gain a power or powers from their godly side of the family." Miya was staring at me with a frown, Uzume was looking at me with her mouth gaping, and Musubi eyes had widened more than I thought was possible.

Silence reigned for a minute as everyone tried to process what they had just heard. Once again Uzume was the one that asked the question, just as she had done for the majority of the meal.

"You mean you're..."

"Yes, My father is Poseidon, Greek god of the Seas. I'm a demi-god."

~PJ&S~

It had taken the rest of the meal to answer all of their questions, well all of Musubi's and Uzume's questions. Miya had just listened as she had for most of the night. I had continued on and explained the risks involved in Musubi and I staying with them. I had expected Miya to show some concern then. I wouldn't have been surprised if she had asked us to leave. Instead, she looked at me and stated that her husband would have not turned away anyone that needed help.

Although she did take the opportunity to inform me that violence was not permitted at Izumo House.

I had also found out that Miya's husband had passed away a few years back. I could tell the lost haunted her. She hid it very well, but despite her stoic expression I could see it in her eyes. A pain that I would recognize anywhere. The pain of love lost.

Once dinner had been finished and the dishes cleared I had decided to take a bath. I needed some time to go over everything in my head. I had done a lot of revealing tonight, but I still had a bunch I had to come to grips with myself. Unfortunately the only thing I was coming to grips with right now was a headache.

During our original discussion Miya had offered us a room in the inn. I could tell right away that Musubi was excited by the idea. Her hopeful look as she turned to me pretty much said it all.

I accepted and had offered to pay for two tenants and given her three months up front. Miya had at first refused saying that she would only charge me for one tenant since we were only using one room, but I had insisted. It wasn't like money was an issue for me.

I had agreed to stay more for Musubi's sake than anything else and that was what I was currently trying to work my head around. The feelings I had for my sekirei.

We had known each other for less than a day, but I was already feeling incredibly protective of her. I craved her presence. It had gotten worse since our healing session, since I had felt her emotions.

I guess that was to be expected. She loved me and I had actually felt that love. There was no uncertainty, no confusion when it came to knowing how she felt about me. I knew without doubt that she loved me…and that fact was making things both much simpler and much more confusing.

It made things simpler because half of the problem with falling for someone was not knowing if they felt the same or not.

The confusing part was the knowledge that it shouldn't be that simple. I had loved someone once and it had not been easy, not in the slightest.

Annabeth

Her name no longer caused me pain. Enough time had passed that the mention of her name, for the most part, only brought up good memories of our time together. I missed her every day, but her loss no longer haunted me…not most days anyways.

I had only been twelve when we had first met. We had pretty much been friends from the start...if you ignored her original idea that we had to hate each other because of our parents feud. I could look back now and see how my feelings for her had deepened as the years had passed. There had been so many emotions I had been forced to work through before we had eventually confessed our love for each other.

I remembered all the confusion, fear, and jealously I had to overcome before realizing my feelings for her.

This was nothing like that. Musubi had come into my life and her love was just there. It was a fact. She was offering it to me without asking for anything in return.

She wasn't human. The bond the sekirei form must play at least a part in the feelings they have for their ashikabi, but that didn't explain everything. The emotions I had felt from her hadn't felt fake or forced.

How could it be that simple?

I sat there in the bath going over it in my mind for what felt like hours. It wasn't until I noticed that the water had gone cold that I decided to head to bed. I was hopeful that things would be clearer in the morning.

The room was dark when I stepped in, but I could make out Musubi's sleeping form on the cot that had been placed next to mine. Her body was glowing, illuminated by the moon light filtering in through the window.

She was beautiful. I couldn't have denied that even if I had wanted to. I couldn't stop myself from just standing there and watching as the moonlight danced across her features making her skin glow with a soft radiance.

I wanted to run my hand across her cheek. It looked so smooth, so soft. I could still remember the feel of her skin from earlier.

I steeled myself, pulling my thoughts away from such dangerous territory and laying down on the cot next to hers. I closed my eyes and breathed deep as I fought to control my hormones, something I had not had to do in years.

It had to be the bond. I had never felt so attracted to someone, not like this.

Despite the conflict being waged in my mind I felt sleep pulling at me. My last thought was the hope that I wouldn't have to deal with a demigod dream. I needed a nice restful nights sleep.

"Help me Oni-chan!"

_Well damn..._

* * *

**Chapter End: Thanks for reading guys! Please drop a review and let me know what you think! I will say right now that reviews are the lifeblood of fanfiction. I will also say that even though I have definite ideas for this story I am always open to suggestion. If anyone has an idea they want to share I will give credit if I decide to use it. Until next time.**


	3. Update to Prior Chapter

Dear Readers,

This is not a notice of cancellation. I wanted to put that sentence first so those like me wouldn't assume the worst and stop reading. I wanted to ask that those of you that have read chapter two already to please go back and read it again, at least the second half after the fight scene. If you read chapter 2 after 10/03/13 please ignore the rest. The next chapter is probably already out or coming in a week or two.

Starting Thursday of last week I came down with the worst flu I have ever had. I was in bad shape. Fever, muscle aches, nausea, the works. I was sick in bed for most of the weekend and I decided in my infinite wisdom that being confined to bed was a prime opportunity to finish the last half of the chapter I was behind on.

I finished the chapter and reviewed it for grammar and posted thinking it was decent enough. It was Tuesday when my head finally cleared and the flu induced fog finally lifted. I wanted to slap myself. One of the reviews I read triggered an urge to go back and reread my chapter because it mentioned a scene having felt forced.

Needless to say that I felt the same and was embarrassed that I had allowed myself to post it. I have since redone it. I removed some key parts and reworked others. I also added an additional scene that ended up coming out to be around 1,600 words. So I don't feel as guilty as I should for making you think this was a third chapter.

Please leave a review and let me know what you think of the changes. I will make this up to you all with an extra-long chapter for my next post. So stay tuned for chapters 3.

I've learned my lesson now…never post a chapter you wrote in between feverish delusions and episodes of nausea.

Thank you all for your interest in this story and I hope this updated version of chapter 2 lives up to your expectations.

Althos Hol


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